WWE Owned WCW 2001
by The Mike Honcho
Summary: What would've happened if WWE followed through on its plan to operate WCW as a separate company in 2001? Here's my best guess...
1. Chapter 1

p class="p1"WCW Intro/p  
p class="p2" /p  
p class="p1"The news that the WWF was buying WCW from the newly merged AOL-TimeWarner sent shockwaves that rippled throughout the wrestling world. The once molten was between two wrestling companies was over, with WWF superstars claiming a sudden, decisive victory. WWF found themselves with a new type of quandary: shutter WCW once and for all, or continue with the operation on their TV with a mix of WCW mid carders and underused guys from their own TV. The answer seemed to come more quickly than anyone dared hope; Shane McMahon, son of WWF chairman Vince, volunteered to run World Championship Wrestling himself, freeing up his father to run the WWF without distraction. Shane was given a budget for talent, was allowed to pick a few of the WWF's vaunted production team to form the backbone of his own team, and began making calls to arrange buyouts for certain other talent he wanted for his show. Very few guys were off limits. Goldberg, Sting, Shane Douglas, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan were on the rumored "banned" list. Just about anyone else was fair game. The purchase of WCW had included 24 contracts, but anyone could see that there very few true stars in that group./p  
p class="p2" /p  
p class="p1"Shane's first call wasn't to a wrestler at all, but to former ECW owner Paul Heyman. Heyman, who'd recently sold his bankrupt company to the WWF, agreed to come on as Shane's assistant manager and head of the creative team of WCW. Jim Cornette was brought in to assist with creative, and to help manage talent, both on and off screen. On the advice of Heyman, McMahon also brought in young Scott D'Amore, founder of Border City Wrestling in Canada and widely considered at that time to be one of the brightest young minds in the business. D'Amore was also building a reputation for training quality young wrestlers, and WCW was always in need of quality, cost-controlled class="Apple-converted-space" /span/p  
p class="p2" /p  
p class="p1"Most people assumed that WCW would be built a round Booker T, who'd taken a buyout and signed a new contract just days after the WCW acquisition, Diamond Dallas Page, who'd wanted one WWE run before retiring, young WWF star (and Shane McMahon favorite) Andrew "Test" Martin, and ECW alum and the first free agent signing of the new WCW Rob Van Dam. What people didn't know was that Scott Steiner, running short of viable options and anxious to make money, would take a buyout from his Time Warner deal and sign for half of what he was guaranteed in the old WCW to get to work on his new deal. More surprises would follow, as both members of the tag team Kronik would take new deals, as well as latin superstar Konnan, took buyouts to get back on TV ASAP. It was rumored Konnan was brought in as much for his contact with other hispanic workers as it was his own declining ability. Shane McMahon was willing to go to get lengths to bring in cheap performers for his tv show./p  
p class="p2" /p  
p class="p1"The TV show itself was another matter altogether. Clearly not welcome on Turner programming, WCW had limited options. WWF's own programming outlet, Spike, didn't want another wrestling show, and as WCW was now a subsidiary of WWE, they couldn't go outside Viacom to get a TV deal. Viacom stepped in and gave WCW a 9-11 PM slot on tuesdays on Spike, as well as an 8-10 PM spot on saturdays on the TVLand network. The TV Land spot was seen as a challenge, but Shane vowed he'd find a way to make it work. br / br / So the stage was set. WCW was set to make its return in May of 2001, just 5 weeks after the final Nitro on TNT. A roster of misfits vowed to make the most of the second chance they'd been given, and the wrestling world awaited their class="Apple-converted-space" /span/p 


	2. Chapter 2

Just to answer some questions: I'll be presented this diary style. You'll get a month of action, and a backstage rumors update. like a newsletter.  
Chapter 1 WCW

The first month for the WWE owned WCW was, to put it kindly...rushed. 24 contracts had been purchased from Time Warner, along with rings and the video library, but almost none of WCW's big names were on the list of those contracts, leaving Shane McMahon and the other agents in charge of WCW in a real bind. Some of the non-contracted talent didn't even know if they were allowed to negotiate with WWE, since their contract situation was fluid. The first of WCW's "names" to accept a buyout of his Time-Warner deal and move over to WWE was Booker T.. Booker was one of the guys Shane McMahon intended to build his fledging company around, as he was a fantastic athlete, good promo, and a leader backstage. Younger workers consistently named Booker T as a guy they looked up to and respected in the locker room, and the McMahons gave Booker T a little more than they thought he was actually worth as a sign to the other WCW workers that they took this project seriously.  
So it came as no surprise to anyone when Booker T was all over the first set of tapings. Based out of the Atlanta Civic Center, the WCW tv show went to a bare bones, underground style of staging and production, with Booker T defending his World title against Mike Awesome and Hugh Morrus, respectively, during the first four shows. He'd surrendered his US title, and another major event of those first tapings was Lance Storm becoming the United States champion. Lance and Team Canada were one of the few consistent entities during that early period, garnering consistent heel heat and having good matches with everyone they were matched up with. br / Shane McMahon did have one thing going for him; a glut of young, cost-controlled performers with tv experience in the Natural Born Thrillers. Mark Jindrak, Sean O'Haire, Chuck Palumbo, Sean Stasiak, Reno and Mike Sanders all came over in the WCW purchase, and all were stalwarts of early WCW. O'Haire and Jindrak, in particular, would become big players in the new, cost-conscious promotion.

The first set of WCW tapings were also notable for the debut of a new tag team; Jamie Noble and AJ Styles, known collectively as "The Perfect Storm," exploded onto WCW's tag team scene with a fervor not seen since the debut of teams like The Rock n Roll Express or the Road Warriors. Dynamic, high-flying, and under the tutelage of legendary manager Jim Cornette, the Perfect Storm established themselves as "must see tv" on a show that needed it. With a win over Chuck Palumbo and Sean Stasiak during what would be the last WCW tv show before their first pay per view event, The Perfect Storm positioned themselves in the finals of a tournament for the WCW tag titles, against the re-united Jindrak and O'Haire. Kronik had chosen not to participate, saying they'd pick their spot to become tag champions.

The Cruiserweights also had their spot in the new WCW. Led by division staple (and rumored McMahon favorite) Billy Kidman, and up and coming star "Sugar" Shane Helms, the cruiserweights became the anchor of the first hour of these two hour WCW shows. Kidman and Helms, along with Chavo Guerrero and Elix Skipper, routinely had great matches that filled time and gave some young guys a chance to show what they had. This division ALSO stood as a way for guys who'd been gone a while (Kid Kash, Chris Candido) and young, untested talent (Christian York, Joey Matthews) to gain some exposure and have low-pressure matches on TV.

The big angle of the first set of tapings was an angle in which Scott Steiner, flanked by Kronik, continually disrupted WCW matches, angry that he wasn't the one chosen to receive the first pay per view title shot at Booker T. This came to a head when WCW GM Shane McMahon confronted him on the final episode before WCW: ReBirth and Steiner left him laying in a pool of his own blood. WCW fans received one final treat when Andrew "Test" Martin, rumored to be debuting for WCW at the second set of TV tapings, came out to confront Steiner about his actions. WCW went off the air, and into their first PPV, with more questions than answers.

Card for WCW: Genesis  
LIVE on PPV from Philips Arena in ATL, Ga.  
Attendance: 9,437.  
Jindrak and O'Haire w Mike Sanders def. The Perfect Storm after interference from Sanders and Reno to become new WCW tag team champions.  
Billy Kidman def. Chavo Guerrero to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

Test def. Hugh Morrus in a surprise match.

The Wall defeated a local competitor in a squash match.

Justin Credible won an impromptu battle royal to become WCW's new TV champion, last eliminating Steve Corino. After the match, Corino and CW Anderson attacked Credible.

Lance Storm w/Mike Awesome and Elix Skipper def. to retain the WCW United States Championship. After the match, Storm cut a promo on how he deserved to be the next challenger for Booker T's title.

Kronik def. local competitors. After the squash, O'Haire and Jindrak confronted Kronik, and Big Vito and Johnny the Bull debuted, getting in the faces of both teams.

MAIN EVENT; for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship:/p  
Booker T defeats Chris Kanyon

After the match, Scott Steiner, with a debuting Rick Steiner, Kronik, and Billy Kidman, attack Booker T, leaving him laying and cutting a promo. They dub themselves "the Keystone" and cut a promo on Booker T and Shane McMahon, with Scott Steiner challenging Booker T at the next Pay Per View. They then continue the beatdown on Booker T until Shane McMahon, Test, The Perfect Storm, DDP, and Rob Van Dam make the save. They go off the air with Steiner screaming at Shane McMahon about how he's a "daddy's boy" and doesn't have the guts to face him by himself... 


End file.
